THE 2006 CAMPAIGN: Gearing Up for November; In Massachusetts, a Race That's Anything but Typical

By PAM BELLUCK

Published: September 21, 2006

CORRECTION APPENDED

The major candidates for governor here have signature attributes of generations of Massachusetts politicians. They have Irish surnames and Harvard degrees, and both rose to financial prosperity from humbler origins.

But this election bears little resemblance to a classic Massachusetts race.

If elected, the Democratic candidate, Deval L. Patrick, who headed the Justice Department civil rights division under President Bill Clinton, would become the state's first African-American governor, and the second black governor in the country.

The Republican, Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey, would be the first woman elected to the state's highest position.

Beyond its statewide significance, the race could also affect the 2008 presidential election. With Gov. Mitt Romney widely considered a likely presidential contender, what happens to his lieutenant governor, and how the Romney administration is portrayed in the campaign, could help or hurt his chances.

''This is a marquee election that has all sorts of interesting implications,'' said Julian E. Zelizer, a history professor at Boston University. ''One thing that's interesting is the politics of race. Are voters prepared in Massachusetts to vote for an African-American governor?

''And with Romney, this is extremely important. It's going to say a lot about his presidency. His record is going to be the subject of debate in an election that is garnering national attention.''

National Republican and Democratic organizations said they would focus considerable effort here. ''This is an important priority for us,'' said Philip A. Musser, executive director of the Republican Governors Association.

Penny Lee, executive director of the Democratic Governors Association, said its chairman, Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico, would be in Massachusetts on Monday to help raise money for Mr. Patrick.

Mr. Clinton is to visit next month, Mr. Lee said, and ''other governors have called to see how they can be helpful.''

In addition, as he did in the three-way primary he won on Tuesday, Mr. Patrick is likely to have help from Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, a fast-rising Democratic star who is also a friend.

Mr. Patrick, 50, who has never held elective office, won 50 percent of the vote in the primary, beating Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly and Chris Gabrieli, a venture capitalist who spent a record $8.4 million. The two promised to support Mr. Patrick's effort to end a 16-year run of Republican governors.

''We were all very worried that we would be coming out of it bloodied,'' Mr. Lee said. ''But I think you just have a thirst from Democrats wanting to take back the governor's office.''

Ms. Healey, 46, who ran unopposed, immediately took a page from the classic playbook, calling Mr. Patrick a tax-and-spend liberal and saying a Republican was needed as a counterweight to the overwhelmingly Democratic legislature.

While the candidates do differ on taxes, education and other issues, some experts said they were not so sure that the typical Republican approach would work this time. For one thing, Mr. Patrick has been general counsel of corporations like Coca-Cola and Texaco, making it hard to tar him as antibusiness.

Mr. Patrick's greatest assets include his charismatic personality, inspiring speaking style and biography. He grew up in poverty on the South Side of Chicago, attended the Milton Academy outside Boston on a scholarship and went from Harvard College and Harvard Law School to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund to the Justice Department and to the business world.

''He's got a great story to tell, and he knows how to tell it,'' said James M. Glaser, professor of political science at Tufts University.

Ms. Healey, raised in modest circumstances in Florida and the daughter of a military man disabled by a heart attack when she was 15, worked part-time while in high school, where she excelled. She calls herself a private person who is uncomfortable discussing her personal life.

She faces the challenge of how closely to connect to Mr. Romney, who is popular in some circles but is considered too conservative in others. Ms. Healey, a former consultant specializing in criminal justice for a research firm, stands apart from Mr. Romney on social issues, siding with most of the electorate in her support of abortion rights and embryonic stem cell research.

''You're going to see him on the campaign trail,'' said Rob Gray, a political strategist for the Healey campaign. ''That being said, every candidate has to run on her own.''

Ms. Healey has a great advantage in wealth. Her husband, Sean M. Healey, is a multimillionaire who heads an asset management company.

Mr. Patrick, who spent $5.5 million on the primary, much of it raised in small contributions, is ''not starting from zero,'' said Richard Chacon, a spokesman for the campaign.

''But we're going to have to move quickly to replenish our funds,'' Mr. Chacon said. ''We're also going to be relying quite heavily on the muscle of national figures.''

The two candidates could be affected by an independent candidate, Christy Mihos. A former Republican, Mr. Mihos advocates a cap on property taxes.

Correction: September 23, 2006, Saturday
Because of an editing error, an article on Thursday about the Massachusetts governor's race referred incorrectly to the executive director of the Democratic Governors Association, who commented on the party's efforts in the state. Penny Lee is a woman.